Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Quality assessment of fruit ripeness is essential for reducing postharvest losses and ensuring consumer satisfaction. Conventional methods for evaluating fruit maturity are often destructive, labour-intensive, and unsuitable for continuous monitoring. This study presents a portable, low-cost dual-sensor device capable of simultaneously measuring electrical impedance and mass to enable non-destructive tracking of fruit ripening. The system integrates an AD5933-based impedance spectroscopy module and a strain-gauge load cell (HX711 amplifier) with an Arduino UNO for real-time data acquisition and storage. Impedance spectroscopy was performed across 4–30 kHz with a 400-mV excitation voltage, while the load cell provided high-resolution weight measurements. Electrical validation using a 1 kΩ–1 µF parallel RC circuit demonstrated good agreement between measured and theoretical impedance and phase responses, and load cell calibration exhibited relative error below approximately 2%. A seven-day proof-of-concept experiment on Musa acuminata bananas demonstrated measurable changes associated with ripening; impedance magnitude at 12 kHz decreased from roughly 6.5 kΩ on Day 0 to 5.5 kΩ by Day 7, accompanied by a progressive phase shift toward more resistive behaviour and a steady reduction in fruit mass due to moisture loss. The combined trends show that the dual-parameter measurements captured ripening-related physiological changes under the tested conditions. These results indicate that the proposed device offers a practical platform for non-destructive fruit quality monitoring and provides a foundation for further development toward broader agricultural applications.
Institution: International Islamic University Malaysia
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,490
OpenAlex ID: W7124907972